Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 120472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 602(@200wpm)___ 482(@250wpm)___ 402(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 602(@200wpm)___ 482(@250wpm)___ 402(@300wpm)
Giovanni’s brow furrows as understanding dawns. “This family war,” he spits as though his sons are the most despicable creatures on earth. “It was all your doing.”
“Every single move was perfectly planned and crafted for years,” Roman says, his dark eyes swarming with victory, this very moment is the one he’s been waiting so damn long for. “There is no win for you, Father. Your throne is ours.”
Giovanni’s hand whips back to Ariana and grips the hilt of the knife, yanking it out as she screams in agony, and as the boys go to make their move, Giovanni drops down like lightning, the bloodied knife at my throat and his strong arm curled around my chest.
He yanks me up off the ground as his sons come to a stop, their eyes showing what they refuse to say out loud. “What’s it worth to you?” Giovanni spits as the knife digs deeper into my throat, a soft trickle of blood trailing down my chest. “Would you sacrifice her life just to prove a point? To prove you’re stronger than me? You’re not. You’re all weak. Look at you, halting at the idea of losing this common whore. I should do you a favor and take her life myself.”
Roman’s jaw clenches as he meets my eyes, his hands balling into fists at his side. No one says a word, hearts racing erratically all around the room as Ariana takes her shot to tear open the door and fuck off out of here. Though she’s not important. The boys will find her eventually, but right now, Giovanni has their full attention.
With the door open at his back, he takes a step back, dragging me through the door only to have the three boys stepping with him. He starts backing down the stairs and his sons match his every move. “Where will you go, Father?” Levi questions, seeing that he’s aiming for one of the many cars at the bottom of the stairs. “Will your brothers take you in once you explain that your sons have finally outplayed you? You will be the laughingstock.”
I stumble back as he takes another step and Giovanni holds onto me tighter, crushing my chest beneath his steel grip. “You can take my home and scar my wife, but you will not take my throne,” he spits, his breath on my face as we hear the sound of Ariana taking off in one of the many black SUVs. “I will come for you, and when I do, your whole castle will crumble.”
Giovanni reaches the bottom step as his sons just stare, knowing damn well that it will never get to the point where he will rise up again. Men don't usually rise once they're six feet under. The boys stop their descent and as Giovanni reaches for the door handle, Roman’s hand slides back for his gun.
He meets my eye, waiting for my move, but even with a knife at my throat, I’m not quite done. I have one more card to use, and I won’t stop until its power has singed him like his abuse has singed his sons. “When you make their castle crumble,” I spit, my nails digging into his arm at my chest and trusting that Roman could get a bullet through his head before his knife could dig into my skin. “Make sure you go extra hard for that wife of yours, after all, your sons have been passing her around like a piece of used meat for years. No wonder she found it so hard to get over Roman. You must be so proud. They fuck like champions, but that bitch of yours, she really knows how to make a girl feel special. I wonder, how did it feel when she shoved her tongue down your throat right after it was buried in my cunt? I bet you could taste this little common whore in your mouth all night long.”
Giovanni roars, and as I feel his muscles flinching behind his blade, Roman’s hand whips out as mine flies back, stabbing the sharp blade of my knife into his thigh. Giovanni roars, the anger pulsing through him like never before just as he catches sight of the gun.
Roman pulls the trigger and I’m pushed hard to the ground as Giovanni flies back, dodging the bullet in a way that only a skilled man with years of experience could do. Then before my scraped knees even have the chance to bleed, Giovanni is diving into the open car door and taking off down his long drive.
Fury pulses through my veins, watching him get away. I can only imagine what the boys must be feeling. They had him right there in their grasp. They were going to get everything they wanted, everything they’ve been waiting for, but I was standing right in the way. If I had only moved out of the way, if I had scrambled after he pushed me, they would have succeeded.